Nockers
History The knockers were a people of the earth, learning the secrets of stone, matter and precious metals. The living emanation of creation coupled with dark frustration, they were always a little "mad" and that was part of their wild artistic gift. They began to craft in rhythmn with humanity- fire, flint, copper, iron. Sometimes they came into contact and conflict the the Redcaps. After the Shattering, they continued to adapt, scaling down their projects and learning to work with advancing tools and processes. They took human artists and inventors for dreamers, helping spawn the "Age of Enlightenment." They are a prevalent kith in Wales. Coal mining and related industries gave the nockers a viable connection to glamour and their devices in turn were extremely helpful to the other kiths. Some worked for House Scathach but the creation of the Commoner's Hold at the Newport Provisions Market in 1854 gave many of the Nockers a home of thier own. The willingness of first Scathach and then Fiona to give the nockers and other commoners there their autonomy went a long way to keeping the warfare out of the city of Newport. After The Resurgence There were a handful of Arcadian nockers that emerged with the sidhe during the Resurgene and they brought with them powerful chimerical weapons. A few other knockers sold weapons or their services to the sidhe. The rest fought as part of the Earthbound forces. The Nocker Lifestyle The venom, bile and profanity of the Knockers is legendary. They are cursed to produce flaws in all of their invention and value their autonomy above all things. They tend to have lots of fights and quarrels both with other kiths and each other. Nockers will do whatever it takes to perserve thier independence and work on their projects in peace. Even the most Seelie nockers are ruthless in combat. Nockers tend to be fasidiously clean and fashion trend-setters with wildly bedecked voile and styles that borrow from every era. They are as talented at sewing and fashion as they are at mechanics. Physically they are gnarled, pale fish-white or reddish with tapered ears and faces that look like masks or overdone stage makeup. Nockers love to build weapons, gadgets and toes that are complex, queer and can bend the envelope of technology and invention. Nocker science utilizes the mystic language of Gematria for its formula combined with Pythagorean theory and other disciplines. The Gematria of Nockers now has few similarities to that of the House of Hermes or other humans. Nockers patent thier inventions throgh the Bes Nin and have sole proprietorship of that item for three years. Nockers are capable of making sentient golems and then imprint them using a special helmet. Golems need to be trained and have fosteage and Saining for a year. Seelie vs Unseelie About two thirds of the kith are Unseelie, however their loyalties are typically to each other and not the Courts. Viceral and savage in combat, Unseelie nockers also epitomize the ideas of freedom, passion and progress. The Bes Nin & The Guilds The Bes Nin of the Market is composed of the local guild leaders. Technically, the Confectionaries, Entertainers and Proprietors are not actual Bes Nin but outsiders don't realize that. *Aethernautical Society *Clothier's Guild *Confectionery Guild (Boggan) *Entertainer's Guild (Clurichaun) *Builders Guild *Mining Guild *Proprietor's Guild (Boggan) *Toymakers Guild *Weapons Guild Affinity Nockers have an affinity with the Prop Realm, gaining a +1 on all cantrips affecting that realm. Birthrights *Forge Chimera– All nockers can create simple, nonliving chimera. This creation cannot involve electricity, magnetism or chemical reactions. To create a chimera, the knocker needs raw chimerical material and a forge or machine shop. They must have some degree of privacy when constructing chimera- a knocker cannot work with chimerical materials in the presence of mortals or prodigals, except enchanted ones. *Fix-It – Nockers are masters of crafting and repair. A few harsh words or well-timed threats can intimidate a malfunctioning machine into working properly. A knocker can fix nearly any mechanical device by making a successful Craft or Intimidate roll. This birthright functions in the presence of mortals. Frailty Anything that a nocker creates will have at least one trivial but irreparable flaw. This will serve as a constant frustration to the artisan who’s crafted it.